THE TOWN OF WESTCHESTER. 405 



About two miles north-west of the village of Westchester is the resi- 

 dence and estate of the late William A. Spencer, Esq., now owned by 

 his son Lorillard Spencer. 



This property originally belonged to the Underhill family, having been 

 purchased by Nathaniel Underhill of John Turner in 1685. Nathaniel 

 Underhill was the youngest son of the celebrated Captain John Under- 

 hill, commonly called Lord Underhill — descended, as we shall have 

 occasion to show presently, of an ancient and honorable family in War- 

 wickshire, England. 



" The name of Underhill," says Lower, " is local, from residence at the 

 foot of, or under a hill. This hill was situated in Nether-Eatendon, a a 

 little below Halford on the eastern bank of the Stoure. The letters ea, 

 in our English, signifying water and dune or don, an ascending ground; 

 for at the foot of an hill just near the river doth it stand." 6 



There can be no doubt that Capt. John Underhill was descended of 

 the Underhills of Huningham in Warwickshire, a town four miles east 

 of Kenilworth on the river Learne; for their Christian names and arms 

 are the same. 



The arms of the Huningham Underhills were, "argent a chevron 

 gules between three trefoils slipped vert," and the crest as usually given, 

 *• a hind lodged or on a mount vert ;" but an old seal of the Underhills 

 in the possession of Mr. Evelyn Ph. Shirley exhibits it as " a buck trip- 

 pant." 6 The seal of Captain John Underhill attached to his name as a 

 witness in a conveyance from the Indian proprietors of Matinecock, 

 Long Island, to Matthew Prior, dated Killingworth, 22d of June, 1664, 

 are "arg, three trefoils, slipped vert," while the crest resembles that on 

 the old seal before mentioned, viz : " a buck trippant " which clearly 

 proves that the bearer belonged to the old or parent stock carrying the 

 original coat plain without adifference.^ 



" During the reign of Elizabeth, when the prosperity of the family was 

 at its height, the Underhills acquired property in almost every parish 

 within six miles of Eatington. They became connected by marriage, 

 also, with many of the best families of the county of Warwick, and at- 

 tained the honors of Knighthood. e From the visitation of Warwick- 



a Patronymica Brittanica-Lower. 



b Dugdale's Warwickshire, p 479. 



c See Miscellanea Gen. et Ileraldeca by Jos. Jackson. 



d Tn a catalogue cf residents in the county of Warwick, taken by Henry Ferrers of Baddes- 

 j., in the twentieth year of Queen Elizabeth, A.D. 1577-8. are the following bearing the 

 name of Underhill: Thomas Underbill, of Nether-Etington: Hurnfrv Underbill. of Kineton, 

 his brother; John Underhill. of Whirchnich, his brother: William Underhill, of Stratford- 

 upon-Avon, son of William, brother of Thomas ; Edward Underhill, of Barton on the Heath, 

 brother of Thomas; Thomas Underbill, of Halford, second son of Thomas.— Collectanea Topo- 

 graphica et Genealogica, vol. viii., 308. 



e Collectanea Topog, et Genealogiea, vol. vi, SS1-SS4. 



